The Battle belongs to the Lord
The Battle belongs to the Lord
How should we defend the Faith?
Its is time to start a new series of posts on "How we as Christians should defend the Faith". This post will be an introduction for the following posts that shall follow.
Ephesians 4; 17-20 says,
This I say, therefore and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you did so learn Christ after this manner, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus"
Paul makes it clear in verse 20 that we did not learn about Christ from the principles of this world. The world walks in sin, with their minds darkened in ignorance being alienated from God in the blindness of their hearts.
We did not learn or come to Christ by the wisdom of this world. We learned Christ by being drawn and by having repentance granted to us from God. The Christian who posses a knowledge of the truth, does so only because faith has been given to him as a gift (Eph. 2; 8-9).
Our sinful world see’ Christ as foolishness (1 Cor. 1; 18;25) so why would we use the principles of this world to defend our faith. Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world, its philosophies, principles ... Romans 8; 7-8 describing the sin nature of the unbeliever saying that the carnal mind is enmity (opposed, hates) against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it indeed be. So then those who are of the flesh cannot please God.
When one becomes a Christian his faith has not been generated by the thought patterns of worldly wisdom. There are no principles to be taken from the word to defend our faith, for it is against our faith. We are to submit our thinking to the Lordship of Christ. We are to have the mind of Christ and walk in the new man and not in the old which is empty foolish reasoning, rejecting Gods existence. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4;4).
In the words of 1 Peter 3;15, the perfect way for offering a reasoned defense of the Christian faith is to have "set apart" Christ as Lord in your hearts. Christ must be the ultimate authority over our philosophy, our reasoning, and our argumentation. Not just at the end, but at the beginning of the apologetic endeavor. If we are to "cast down reasoning and every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God. We must bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10;5). For "In Thy sight (God’s) shall we see light (Ps. 36;9).
After all in Christ "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are deposited (Col. 2;3). If you want true knowledge then you must have God’s interpretation of reality. You must have the Truth "Thy word is Truth" (John 17 ;17). As John 1;1 starts of, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the Word became flesh. This Word is also Gods mind given to us as revelation, that being the Bible.
We are to use the weapon that God has given us to defend our Faith that being his sword, the Word of God.
To try and defend the faith any other way or even thinking that one must be neutral is infact to be immoral. No one is able to serve two lords (Matt. 6;24). Either you have the mind of Christ or you live with the vain mind of the unbeliever. As Christians we are to "set apart" our minds to the Lordship of Christ. Any other way makes you a double minded person (James 1; 8) unstable in all your ways.
This means that the believer must presuppose the truth of God’s word from start to finish in his apologetics witness. The Christians final standard is the word of God, for the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge"(Prov.1;7)
As we will see as these posts go on all the believer needs to defend his Faith is the power of the word of God. It will make every other worldview unintelligible and will press the unbeliever to see that he is suppressing the knowledge of God in unrighteousness making his so-called knowledge foolishness.
The next post will look at 1 Peter 3;15 and also at the believers and unbelievers ultimate commitments.
How should we defend the Faith?
Its is time to start a new series of posts on "How we as Christians should defend the Faith". This post will be an introduction for the following posts that shall follow.
Ephesians 4; 17-20 says,
This I say, therefore and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you did so learn Christ after this manner, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus"
Paul makes it clear in verse 20 that we did not learn about Christ from the principles of this world. The world walks in sin, with their minds darkened in ignorance being alienated from God in the blindness of their hearts.
We did not learn or come to Christ by the wisdom of this world. We learned Christ by being drawn and by having repentance granted to us from God. The Christian who posses a knowledge of the truth, does so only because faith has been given to him as a gift (Eph. 2; 8-9).
Our sinful world see’ Christ as foolishness (1 Cor. 1; 18;25) so why would we use the principles of this world to defend our faith. Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world, its philosophies, principles ... Romans 8; 7-8 describing the sin nature of the unbeliever saying that the carnal mind is enmity (opposed, hates) against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it indeed be. So then those who are of the flesh cannot please God.
When one becomes a Christian his faith has not been generated by the thought patterns of worldly wisdom. There are no principles to be taken from the word to defend our faith, for it is against our faith. We are to submit our thinking to the Lordship of Christ. We are to have the mind of Christ and walk in the new man and not in the old which is empty foolish reasoning, rejecting Gods existence. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4;4).
In the words of 1 Peter 3;15, the perfect way for offering a reasoned defense of the Christian faith is to have "set apart" Christ as Lord in your hearts. Christ must be the ultimate authority over our philosophy, our reasoning, and our argumentation. Not just at the end, but at the beginning of the apologetic endeavor. If we are to "cast down reasoning and every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God. We must bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10;5). For "In Thy sight (God’s) shall we see light (Ps. 36;9).
After all in Christ "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are deposited (Col. 2;3). If you want true knowledge then you must have God’s interpretation of reality. You must have the Truth "Thy word is Truth" (John 17 ;17). As John 1;1 starts of, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the Word became flesh. This Word is also Gods mind given to us as revelation, that being the Bible.
We are to use the weapon that God has given us to defend our Faith that being his sword, the Word of God.
To try and defend the faith any other way or even thinking that one must be neutral is infact to be immoral. No one is able to serve two lords (Matt. 6;24). Either you have the mind of Christ or you live with the vain mind of the unbeliever. As Christians we are to "set apart" our minds to the Lordship of Christ. Any other way makes you a double minded person (James 1; 8) unstable in all your ways.
This means that the believer must presuppose the truth of God’s word from start to finish in his apologetics witness. The Christians final standard is the word of God, for the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge"(Prov.1;7)
As we will see as these posts go on all the believer needs to defend his Faith is the power of the word of God. It will make every other worldview unintelligible and will press the unbeliever to see that he is suppressing the knowledge of God in unrighteousness making his so-called knowledge foolishness.
The next post will look at 1 Peter 3;15 and also at the believers and unbelievers ultimate commitments.
posted by Rich7 at 12:51 AM
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